


Cassie's Family

by stillinbeta



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/F, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 16:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7648873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillinbeta/pseuds/stillinbeta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassie's the most important person in either of their lives</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cassie's Family

“Sam?”

Sam Carter was busy getting Cassie ready for bed. She was a bit old for a bedtime story, but hadn’t quite entered the teenage years where she resented every adult, and Sam was relishing every moment of it.

“What is it honey?” she asked.

“Are you and Mom married?”

Sam choked back a gasp. “What, uh, what makes you think that, Cassie?”

“All of my friends at school’s parents are married. Except Gwynn, her mom ditched her dad after she caught him...”

“No sweetie,” Sam cut her off. “Janet and I are just friends.”

Cassie seemed to consider this.

“But you’re both my parents, right?”

Sam sighed internally. “We both love you very much,” she said by way of an answer. She bent down and and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight, Cassie” she whispered, turning out the light.

“Night Mo--Sam,” she replied, settling into bed.

Sam flushed a bit, momentarily happy for the darkness. She walked quietly down the stairs into the dark living room. Janet was working late -- it’s always midday on some planet -- and she had the house to herself.

It was Janet’s house, of course, and Sam’s car was parked in the driveway. But as she often did, she went into the kitchen to make herself a drink and pulled out a book, awaiting Janet’s eventual arrival.

~~~

The sound of a car in the driveway jolted her awake -- she picked the book up off her lap and self-consciously smoothed out her clothes. She heard the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel and keys jingling, then the door opened and Janet stepped over the threshold. Sam waved a greeting.

“What are you still doing here, Sam? It’s quarter to two!”

“Guess I lost track of time. Can I get you a drink?”

“No thank you, I’m headed straight to bed. Got an early shift in the morning.”

Sam started gathering her things. “I guess I do too. See you tomorrow?”

Janet sighed. “Come on, Sam, it’s pitch black and I think it’s starting to rain. I’ll fix up the couch.”

Sam walked over to the linen closet and grabbed a pair of sheets while Janet strong-armed the futon into position. After the bed was made, Janet started up the steps. “‘Night Sam,” she said quietly over her shoulder.

“Night!” Sam called back, careful to keep her voice down too. “Sleep well.”

~~~

Sam woke up to the sound of clattering dishes and sizzling bacon. “Morning hon!” called Janet from across the room.

Sam’s eyes widened, but before she could reply, Cassie called back “Morning mom!” from the bottom of the stairs. Sam blushed and tried to pretend to be asleep.

When the flush subsided she made a show of yawning and rubbing her eyes.

“Morning, Sam!” called Cassie, and Janet turned to look.

“Ah, perfect, the eggs are just about done!” she called from across the living room.

Sam’s smile widened and and she clambered off the futon. Cassie was already eating her eggs when she got to the kitchen table. Sam poured herself a glass of orange juice as an apron-clad Janet set down a plate of bacon and yet more scrambled eggs. Just as Sam started to dig in there was a loud honking outside.

“The bus!” Cassie shouted, nearly choking on a mouthful of eggs.

She grabbed her book bag from beside the table and sprinted out the door. “Bye mom! Bye Sam!”

“Have a good day at school!” Sam called back.

“Love you!” Janet added.

They ate the rest of their breakfast with some mild chitchat about the goings on at the SGC. Sam put away the dishes (replying “you cooked!” to Janet’s protests) and gathered her jacket and her keys. She was just about out the door when she heard Janet curse.

“What’s up?”

Janet held aloft a blue trapper-keeper. “Look what Cassie forgot again.”

Sam groaned. “That’s what, the third time this week?”

Janet nodded gravely. “At this rate her teachers are gonna haul me in for another conference.”

“And you can’t exactly explain that she’s only been on this planet for six months.”

“Probably not, no. And I can’t take it in, I’ve got a briefing with the General at 09:00.”

“I can do it. I’ve got to head that direction anyway to pick up my uniform from home.”

“Sam, you don’t have to do that.”

“I want to, though. She’s been through hell, she should at least survive middle school.”

“You really care about her, don’t you Sam?”

“I love her so much” Sam said quietly.

“I know you do,” Janet replied.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Sam drained the last of her orange juice.

“You know what she asked me last night?” Sam asked, trying to change the subject. “She asked if we were married.”

Was Janet... blushing? Sam blinked and it was gone. She shook her head.

“Where did she get that idea?” laughed Janet.

“She said all her friends’ parents were married, and I guess she just assumed that’s how it worked for everyone. It’s not like she’s been here that long”

“I suppose that’s true. Still, hopefully she doesn’t start talking about her... non-traditional family. And I don’t mean being from Hanka.”

Sam’s heart sunk. She knew Colorado Springs was conservative, but Janet was from Minnesota. She had hoped to at least find an ally...

Janet interrupted her thoughts. “Not that I’d mind. You sure make an excellent mom.”

Now that got Sam’s attention. But of course she just meant for helping with Cassie. Right? Her thoughts swirled a bit, and then she became aware she’d been silent for several seconds. The thoughts were pushed back down.

“I’ll talk to her, don’t worry.”

Sam grabbed the trapper keeper and her jacket and headed towards the door.

“See you soon!” Janet called after her.

“See ya”

Sam walked to the car and took a moment to compose herself. She waved her intrusive thoughts away and put the keys in the ignition

~~~

The week hadn’t gone well for Sam. Research on SG-6’s discovery on an abandoned planet was slow going, and Hammond was in a worse mood than usual due to the ongoing budget hearings. She was relieved when Janet stopped by the lab and asked to grab lunch with her. The third time in as many days, Sam thought to her herself, then sternly reminded herself that the base wasn’t that big and that’s what friends do anyway.

They walked to the cafeteria together, loaded their trays with salsbury steak (and jello, in sam’s case) and found an empty table.

“How’s Cassie?” Sam asked as they sat down.

“Not much change since yesterday,” Janet teased. “Her English teacher loved her essay, but her math teacher has been less than impressed with her homework as of late.”

“Does she need any tutoring? My algebra’s a little rusty but I’m sure I could brush up.”

“Oh, she’d love that!” Janet smiled. “She can’t get enough of you.”

Sam blushed.

“I mean it,” Janet continued. “Do you know what her essay was about?”

“No!”

“A brave warrior who saves a young princess from a terrible fate. We actually had to run it by the censors because it was originally about a girl from another planet.”

“As if she didn’t have enough to worry about already,” Sam groaned.

“It’s not like some NID spook was interviewing her in a room. Walter read it and told her to change the ‘alien’ part. She had a great time, I think they were gosipping”

Sam laughed. “Still, though. The poor girl can barely keep her lies straight.” And internally: “What would Cassie possibly gossip about with the guy who runs the stargate?”

“Her teachers say she has a ‘vivid imagination,’” Janet said grimly.

They sat in silence for a moment. Sam’s hand balled into a fist, remembering the fear in Cassie’s eyes as they walked into the bunker.

“She’s really lucky to have you, Janet.”

Janet grabbed Sam’s hand, which instantly relaxed. Sam looked away to hide another blush.

“She’s really lucky to have you too, Sam.”

They cleared their trays and headed back to work. Suddenly Sam’s week didn’t seem so bad.”

~~~

Sam was on her way out the enormous door of Cheyenne mountain when her phone rang.

“This is Captain Carter.”

“Hi Sam, it’s Janet! I’m gonna have to work late, SG-4 is in pretty bad shape right now!” Janet shouted over a blaring klaxon.

“Shit. Everyone going to be okay?” Carter started to turn around.

“I’ll tell you when I know. Can you keep an eye on Cassie tonight?”

“Sure thing. And good luck.”

Janet hung up, and Carter headed back towards her car. She pulled out of the parking lot maybe a little quicker than was necessary and headed towards town.

When she got to Janet’s house Cassie was watching TV. A normal kid’s parents might be worried if their kids spent as much time glued to the TV as Cassie did, but she wasn’t normal. She had 11 years worth of American (and Earth) culture to catch up on, and what better place than Hollywood’s finest.

“Hi mom!” Cassie called from the couch without looking up.

Sam’s heart skipped a beat. “Hey Cassie, it’s just me. Mom had to work late again.”

“Oh, hey Sam. Can we order pizza?”

“I was about to suggest it,” Sam smiled. “Pepperoni again?”

“I’m thinking about going vegetarian.”

Cassie gestured at the TV, which was showing the second act of Charlotte’s Web.

“One large veggie supreme coming right up!” Sam laughed and picked up the phone.

She sat down on the couch with Sam to watch the rest of the movie, the young girl leaning against her. Sam, having seen Charlotte’s Web before, knew what was coming, and was ready to hold a sobbing Cassie when Charlotte died. Just as the baby spiders showed up the doorbell rang. Sam went to grab her purse while Cassie opened the door. Sam paid the driver and the two sat down at the kitchen table together.

“How was school today?” Sam asked, between mouthfulls of pizza.

“Oh, you know. Same old.” Cassie replied. “My grades in math are up though. Thanks for your help with that”

Sam grimaced. “I think I learned as much as you did from that book. They sure teach Algebra differently now.”

“It was fun working through it. Plus I don’t get to see you confused that often” Cassie teased.

“Give me a bomb to disarm any day. Just don’t make me... oh no.”

Cassie was suddenly very quiet and very still. Sam could see her hands shaking.

“Oh sweetie I’m so sorry. Come here.” She pulled the girl into her lap and held  
her close. “You’re okay, Cassie. You’re safe now. It’s all over.”

Cassie’s breathing was laboured and she was crying, but she grabbed Sam’s hand. That was a good sign.

“I’m so sorry,” Sam whispered again, rocking her back and forth. “I love you so much.”

“Don’t leave me!” Cassie cried, and clutched Sam tight.

“Never,” Sam replied through tears of her own. “Never.”

~~~

When Janet finally got home Cassie was fast asleep, but Carter was stirring a martini absentmindedly, her eyes staring off into space.

“Everything okay, Sam?”

Sam sighed and looked down at her drink. “Cassie had another panic attack tonight.”

Janet sighed. “She doing okay?”

“Yeah. She was pretty shaken up, but she calmed down after a while, and seemed chipper enough when I put her to bed.”

“What happened?”

“It was my fault. I made some quip about disarming a bomb. I know what she went through, I was there, I should know better than to...”

Janet hugged Sam, and as usual all her fears and worries instantly melted away.

“It’s okay. It happens. PTSD is very common among people who’ve undergone...”

“I know what PTSD is, Janet. Everyone at the SGC knows. I just... I was careless. I can’t believe I hurt her like that.”

“Sam, you saved her. You held out on her when no-one else believed in her. You risked your life in that bunker just to stay with her.”

Sam looks at Janet, tears stinging her eyes. “I just want to keep her safe.”

“And you have.”

~~~

“So, Cassie, have you noticed any boys at school?” Janet asked, one morning over breakfast. Sam had, once again, stayed too late and crashed on the venerable futon. Cassie almost spit out her orange juice.

“Mom!” she sputtered, her face flushed.

Sam joined in. “C’mon, Cassie, no cute boys you’ve got your eyes on?”

Cassie’s face turned scarlet. “No sam, geez,” she complained, hiding behind her hands.

“What about any cute girls?”

Sam looked at Janet, wide-eyed. She was military too, bound by the same horrid laws as Sam herself. But of course Cassie wasn’t military. No harm in asking her... but it was something. Cogs turned Sam’s head.

“Huh?” Cassie looked confused. “But girls like boys, not other girls!”

Sam sighed. Colorado Springs was the Evangelical Christian capital of the United States. Not exactly the sort of place that’d expose an eleven-year-old to the gay rights movement. Still, a distressing thing to hear from someone so close to her.

“Not always, sweetie. Some women love men, and some women love women,” Janet explained

Cassie seemed to consider this, then her eyes lit up. “Oh, like you and Sam!”

This time Sam couldn’t hide her blush... and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Janet was flushed as well. Sam knew what she was supposed to say, what she had to say, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone, even Cassie, even here, that she didn’t love Janet.

There was a moment of silence. Janet and Sam looked at each other... and in that moment Sam knew. She knew what Janet was thinking, knew that it was what she was thinking too, knew that her life was about to change forever.

And in that moment, the bus honked.

Cassie grabbed her book bag and rushed out the door. Janet and Sam, the spell momentarily broken, shouted “trapper keeper!” after her as she ran out the door. She doubled back, grabbed the bulging binder from the table and sprinted out the door. The two women watched her sprint to the bus and clamber on just before the driver closed the door.

They sat quietly for some time, Sam trying to work up the courage to say something, Janet seemingly lost in her own thoughts as well.

“How long have you known?” Sam finally asked her, quietly.

“I didn’t, until right now. I suspected. Hoped, even.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile.

Janet continued, “I wondered why you were always here. I figured you were just keeping an eye on Cassie.”

“I was. I care about her more than anyone in the world.” Same thought for a second. “Anyone in the universe. But you’re a close second.”

Now it was Janet’s turn to Smile. God, Sam loved it when she smiled.

“I love you, Sam. I want you to be a part of my life... of both our lives. I want us to be a family, a real family.”

Janet grabbed Sam’s hand and held it. “I love you too Sam.” she whispered.

“But?” Sam noticed the hesitation in her voice and her heart sank.

“What about her classmates? Her friends? Her teachers? You know what this place is like. They’ll tease her until she goes to college.”

“She’s a tough kid. She’s survived a hell that would make the devil blush. I doubt she’ll let a few words get to her.”

“She’s been through so much though. Do we need to pile it on?”

Janet looked pensive. “Maybe we should ask her.”

~~~

When Cassie got home from school that day, Sam and Janet were waiting for her on at the kitchen table. Cassie threw her bookbag down on the floor and waved.

“Hi Sam, Hi mom! What’s up?”

Sam sighed. Under the table, Janet grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

“Cassie... your mother and I have a question to ask you.”

Cassie looked nervously at the floor. “Is this about my math grades? Because I can explain...”

Janet cut her off. “No, it’s not about that -- although we will get to that, now that you mention it. We wanted to ask you about... us.”

Sam squeezed Janet’s hand back. Cassie looked expectant.

“Your mom and I...” Sam started, then bit her lip.

“Sam and I want to start dating,” Janet finished for her. Sam blushed. Cassie looked confused.

“I thought you already were. Wasn’t that what we were talking about this morning?”

“No, we aren’t. Not yet at least,” Janet said gently.

Sam added, “Here on earth, to women dating each other is... frowned upon. Some people won’t like us for doing it.”

“Those people sound mean,” Cassie said with certainty.

“They might also might not like you for having parents... like that,” Janet added. “We don’t want to put you through anymore than you’ve already been through.”

Cassie thought about that for a second. “But if you do, will Sam come live with us? Will she be my mom too?”

Sam started to reply, but Janet turned to face her and said, “If she’d like to. I think that would be perfect.”

Cassie beamed. “I think you should do it! I don’t care what the other kids say about you... I love you both.”

At that, Sam and Janet both rose to hug her. “We love you too, hon.”

“And if anyone gives you any trouble, have them come talk to me.” Sam put on her best Air Force scowl, and Cassie giggled.

“Very scary, mom”

Somehow that last word filled Sam with even more joy than Janet’s “I love you.”

She put on a mock drill instructor voice. “Now go upstairs young lady, and do your homework.”

Cassie managed a mock salute and marched up the stairs. Sam turned to Janet, and suddenly she was a nervous high schooler again.

“I guess that means we have a green light,” she said shyly.

Janet smiled, and leaned for a kiss. Sam grinned and pulled her in.


End file.
